When travelling to large countries it is always difficult to decide what to see. The large cities always offer many attractions and ways to occupy your time. However smaller towns and cities should not be neglected and if possible should most definitely be visited. Steeped in rich cultural history they offer a truer representation of the way China used to be opposed to what it is trying to rejuvenate itself into. China Tours operates trips to see these cultural hot spots so book your China Flights now!
Pingyao is a Chinese city and county in central Shanxi province. It is located about 715 km away from Beijing and 80 km from the provincial capital, Taiyuan. During the Qing Dynasty, Pingyao was the financial center of China. It is now renowned for its well-preserved ancient city wall, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Pingyao still retains its city layout from the Ming and Qing dynasties, conforming to the traditional bagua pattern. More than 300 sites in or near the city have ancient ruins. All of the streets, storefronts and houses to this day retain their charm and character. The intricate detailed architecture has been preserved and gives the place an added magnificence.
In the spring and autumn seasons, the county belonged to the kingdom of Jin. It was part of the kingdom of Zhao in the Warring States Period. In the Qin Dynasty, it was known as Pingtao. During the Han Dynasty, it was known as Zhongdu County. In 1986, the People’s Republic of China designated Pingyao as one of the Chinese Historic and Cultural Cities. Further to this it became a World Heritage Site in 1997.
The city walls of Pingyao were constructed in the 3rd year of the Hongwu Emperor’s reign (1370). The walls have six barbican gates. The north and south sides have one gate each. The walls measure about 12 meters high, with a perimeter of 6,000 meters. A 4-meter wide, 4-meter deep moat can be found just outside the walls. Aside from the four structured towers at the four corners, there are also 72 watchtowers and more than 3,000 battlements. In 2004, parts of the southern walls collapsed but were reconstructed. However, the rest of the city walls are still largely intact and are considered among the best-preserved ancient city walls on this scale. This makes the city walls the centerpiece of the Heritage Site.
Increases in tourism have put pressure on the ancient walled city of Pingyao. During the tourist high season, the amount of visitors to the city can reach up to 3 times its maximum capacity per day; however, the small town does adequately cope with this demand and is well worth visiting for an excellent cultural experience (China Hotels).
Related posts:
